How Far Apart To Plant Tomatoes? Getting A Plentiful Harvest

If you want your tomatoes to give you a plentiful harvest, you need to consider its growth requirements. Aside from making sure that it gets enough water and sunlight, you need to give it ample space to flourish especially if you are trying to grow multiple tomatoes in a small or limited area.

It is very important for you to put enough space between several tomato plants. You need to keep in mind that in order for them to grow and bear fruit properly, they need to have access to the water and nutrients in the soil. If they have to compete for it with other plants, they might not be able to thrive.

As a general rule, the farther you plant the tomatoes from each other, the better your harvest becomes. As a matter of fact, experience gardeners know that in order to get as many tomatoes as possible, you should avoid cramming too many plants in one area. Instead, you should focus on giving them space.

Knowing Your Tomato So You Can Prepare For Its Spacing Needs

Spacing will depend on what tomato cultivar you are trying to grow in your garden. You need to know that there are basically two types﻿ of tomatoes: the determinate and the indeterminate tomatoes. The determinate tomatoes will grow to a predetermined height, but the other type will keep growing.

Determinate tomatoes will grow anywhere between two to four feet in height. As soon as they reach the maximum height, they will stop growing and they will start bearing fruit for a short period of time. Indeterminate tomatoes on the other hand, will grow up to eight feet long and perhaps even more.

With that in mind, indeterminate tomato plants will need more room to grow. As a matter of fact, you might have to stake them. Although it requires more space to grow, these tomatoes however, will bear fruit the whole year round, making it a great choice for a bountiful harvest.

You can also grow dwarf indeterminate tomatoes. This type can bear fruit with the right conditions all year round but it will not grow as big as the other indeterminate tomatoes. This is why when buying seedlings, ask the seller what type it is so you will know if it can easily thrive and grow in your property.

The Standard Spacing Of Tomato Plants

Tomatoes need to have access to full sunlight in order to grow and bear fruit. Without enough spacing, two tomato plants placed closely together will have leaves that overlap, preventing them from getting enough sun. If you have determinate tomatoes, I highly recommend that you grow them in pots.

Doing so will help the plant get more sunlight and bear more fruit. If you want to plant them in your garden, you need to plant them 2-2.5 feet apart in a row. The rows should also be at least 4 feet away from each other. This will allow the plants to have enough room for growth and for producing fruits.

If you want to plant indeterminate tomatoes, you should consider planting them 3-4 feet apart. If you are caging them, you can plant them 2.5-3 feet apart. In case you are staking them, you can plant them 1.5-2 feet apart. Staking or caging the tomatoes will stop them from growing all over the place.

If you are not sure about what type of tomato you are growing and you just want to grow them in your garden for fun, you can plant them at least 30 inches apart. If you need to plant them in multiple rows, you should space the rows at least 2 or more feet away from each other.

How To Maximize The Space So You Can Plant More Tomatoes

Tomatoes are sun-loving plants, this is why they need as much room to grow as you can offer. For people who have limited garden spaces, you can actually maximize your lot area by staking or caging your tomato plants.

These techniques are not just for spacing, they can also help the tomato grow properly and they can minimize the spread of disease. Staking for example will help your tomatoes grow upward so that it will get more sun. Staking can also help provide support for the plant as it is known to produce bigger fruits.

Caging on the other hand, is important for easy maintenance. It will help protect your tomatoes from damage and trauma especially if you have pets or kids around. Caging will also allow your tomatoes to grow naturally and it can also help you plant avoid rot and other common diseases.

Conclusion

When trying to grow tomatoes in your garden, you should know whether you can grow determinate or indeterminate tomatoes in the space available. I highly recommend that you grow determinate tomatoes if you have limited space, and indeterminate tomatoes if you have an ample garden area.

You need to space the tomatoes apart properly so you will be able to get a bountiful harvest. As a general rule, each of them must have at least 30 inches of space in between. Of course, if you do know what type of tomato you have, you should follow the guidelines precisely for best results.

If you need to plant several rows of tomatoes, you should but at least 3-4 feet of space in between the rows. You can also opt to stake or cage your tomatoes if you want to maximize the space available for planting. For best results, avoid cramming tomato plants together and give them enough sun and soil.

Do you grow tomatoes in your garden? Tell us more about how far apart you planted them in the comment section.

My name is Emily Taylor, gardening is my passion and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone. I know that there are millions of people out there want their backyard and garden be attractive just like their front yard, so I am here to help you create your own backyard paradise.